Actually Incarecrated Bob broke this news before Nabokov was signed by the Red Wings, its funny how certain posters hate on him but his Islanders stuff has been spot on (Wiz trade , Rollie Trade , Nabokov signing) also Langenbrunner pending trade he was all over it.

Let's see..

Weight being the new coach after Gordon got canned....Miss
The 72 hour signing window for Moulson or he'd be traded....Miss
Semin becoming an Isle...Miss

Looks like hes batting .500...obviously he knows some intern or someone

But relax...

Back to the OP:
Nabby is being somewhat stupid if he fails to report...thats something no NHL team wants to see.

-- Nabokov's waiver period ends at 12 noon eastern on Saturday.
-- any of the NHL's 29 teams -- other than Detroit, of course -- may put in a claim on Nabokov.

-- if no team claims Nabokov, he becomes a member of DET's 23-man NHL roster.

-- if only one team claims Nabokov that team will be awarded him.

-- if more than one team puts in a claim on Nabokov, the team that is lowest in the standings (worst winning percentage) on the day Nabokov was put on waivers (today) is awarded the player.

-- as a pro player who has played in Europe after the NHL season has begun, Nabokov is subject to some specific waiver regulations (which are different from "normal" waivers for players who start and finish the season in the NHL) after the initial claim has been made.

That includes the following:

-- If the team that claims and is awarded Nabokov decides to subsequently trade or assign the player, they must:

a) put Nabokov back on waivers again, where any team, including the Detroit Red Wings, could then claim him. Again, priority claim belongs to the team lowest in the standings.
Only if Nabokov clears waivers would the team holding his rights be able to trade him.

b) get Nabokov's permission to put him on waivers and/or trade him as Nabokov, once he is a member in good standing of the NHL, has a No Movement Clause in his contract.

Only if those conditions are satisfied could Nabokov end up up with a team other than the one who claimed him on waivers from DET.

The bottom line here is as follows:

-- there is no way for DET to make any orchestrated "arrangements" to get Nabokov back from the team that claims him unless Detroit is successful in claiming him on waivers the second time around. If any team lower than Detroit in the standings put in a claim, Nabokov would go to that team.

-- there is no way for a team who claims and gets Nabokov to easily flip him in a trade as he must go through waivers again, giving every team including Detroit an opportunity to claim for nothing more than the set waiver price, which is $3,375.

So any team that claims Nabokov on waivers is likely to do so for the purpose of having him in their lineup for the balance of the season as Nabokov's NMC effectively controls when or if he moves again. The only way the team that claims and is awarded Nabokov tomorrow can subsequently get rid of Nabokov is with the player's permission.

The general feeling within the NHL community is that Nabokov will not clear waivers tomorrow. That his relatively low annual salary -- $570,000 is only $70,000 more than the league minimum -- and favorable cap hit will entice teams to perhaps bring him in to replace a less experienced backup goalie who in some cases is already making more than $570,000.

But given the waiver regulations on Nabokov and his no move clause, the team that claims him is likely to be committed to Nabokov for the balance of the season because he may not necessarily be easy to get rid of.

What I don't understand is why ANY team put a claim in for him. He was available since December and just bc the Red Wings offer, means he's a hot commodity. It's embarrassing for the NHL and your fan base to have to go thru w this mess.

Nabby picked Detroit after not hearing from ANY team ove past 3 weeks and in baffles me that ANY team would claim him.

How stupid is Garth Snow? He screwed a client of one of the most powerful agents in the biz. Anybody with a grain of sense knew he wouldn't report to the Isles as he was clearly looking to go to a contender.

How stupid is Garth Snow? He screwed a client of one of the most powerful agents in the biz. Anybody with a grain of sense knew he wouldn't report to the Isles as he was clearly looking to go to a contender.

ouchhhhh!!!! this is what i was affraid of.....because now its an even bigger story than it had too be.....see even if a FA was thinkin bout coming here hes gonna 2nd guess because everyones gonna be like...." you actually wanna go there?" this was the losing part of the gmble on Nabby....ohhh well were still a lottery pick and i suppose those players wont say please dont draft me....but the day that happens im done.....

Nabby said he wanted to play in the NHL this year. The Isles ain't exactly the NHL. Its unfortunate for us, I think Snow was actually trying to do a smart thing for the team, sign the veteran goalie and send the kid back for some seasoning. Unfortunately our favorite team is the joke of the NHL. Plus, I can't blame Nabby for not wanting to wind up playing in front of our ECHL defense.